Chris Kaleiki worked at Blizzard for 13 years and helped develop the MMORPG World of Warcraft. He has now resigned because he is no longer satisfied with the state of the game.
Why is Chris Kaleiki leaving? He explains that the release of the Classic version of WoW has made the differences between the original version and the modern version clear to him. He says:
I have been unhappy with the state of the game for a long time, probably too long.
Chris Kaleiki, former Game Designer of WoW
He reveals that and more in a video:
Are players no longer the focus of WoW?
What exactly bothers him about the game? Kaleiki explains that players are not prioritized enough. He believes this is because guilds no longer play a significant role in modern WoW.
I think in Classic, the guild is a big deal. To do something in the endgame, you really need to be in a guild. This creates a mutual dependence between players who really need each other to succeed. And while that can sometimes feel really constraining, ultimately it fosters camaraderie and creates a community.
Chris Kaleiki, former Game Designer of WoW
World of Warcraft can now be played very well solo. Guilds are basically no longer necessary, and Chris Kaleiki believes this undermines the essence of the game. Moreover, he is also annoyed by another aspect: the focus on NPC storylines.
Warcraft and WoW have always had a story, but lately I feel that in the modern game, the story takes up a larger part. The characters and all their own dramas take up a lot of space in the game, while I think in a virtual world, in an MMO, that the players are really the story.
Chris Kaleiki, former Game Designer of WoW
What would the designer change? According to Chris Kaleiki, WoW should return to its core elements, the guild system, and what only an MMO can truly do. However, he also knows that modern WoW has changed because players wanted it to. Therefore, the problem for him is more the discrepancy between what World of Warcraft is now and what it once was.
Were MMORPGs better in the past?
Were MMORPGs really better in the past? And has WoW ruined the “old feeling” a bit? These questions have been discussed by the editorial team in the MeinMMO podcast.
What is he doing now? The designer hopes that he will now have the opportunity to work on the next big virtual world. He believes that Blizzard will continue to be successful and is looking forward to playing the upcoming titles from the studio.
One of these upcoming titles is Diablo Immortal. The first testers at Blizzard are already excited about this game:
Diablo Immortal: First testers are “thrilled” – But when can we finally get our hands on it?
